Saturday, February 21, 2009

Three Things I Learned at the Garden Show

I learned a few things at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this week. The first thing was that lily bulbs can be really big. And that I am powerless to resist buying them. This one is African Queen and it will be "rich orange with a burgundy reverse". I think I would like that to be the description of my life.The second important thing that I learned was that heathers, that old garden stand-by available at Home Depot, are not heathers at all but "heaths". This is of concern to me as I feel it should have been part of my Scottish heritage to know this. The true heathers that cover the Scottish highlands are "Calluna vulgaris" and the shopping mall parking lot heaths are "Ericas". Callunas have scale-like leaves while Ericas have more of a needle. Or as the nice guy from Heaths and Heathers in Shelton told me "Heather = feather. Heath = teeth" I feel much more Scottish now! This is Calluna "Silver Knight"

The third thing I learned at the garden show was that spending too many hours in the dark and cavernous belly of the Trade and Convention Center leaves me feeling like this. Maybe the show will be reincarnated at an outdoor space some time in the future. (Moss head photo by Dutch artist Levi van Veluw)

3 comments:

Hi Jean - Somehow I missed this! Hilarious. I agree, it should be outdoors! Why is it not? They could take over the Olympic Sculpture Park or something, maybe in August so no rain. I love lily bulbs and resisted for the first time ever this year - where did you get your monster size one? I have bought from B & D before. No good place for them here at the moment, the ones I had all died out. Nothing like the scent of some of those guys... can't wait to see yours!

Wow Karen. That is a kind offer on the heaths and heathers. I would be chuffed to get some but will have to figure out something to exchange them for. I have lots of astrantias. Would you be interested?